Good story, Not enough for a whole film

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Directed by Norman Taurog, with a story by Danny Arnold, who also wrote the screenplay with Edmund Hartmann, this Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin comedy is full of laughs especially if you like Lewis's antics: his many voices and physical humor. If you're a fan of golf, you will enjoy seeing Ben Hogan and Sam Snead (among others) swinging the clubs. The cast also includes Donna Reed, Barbara Bates, Joseph Calleia, Fred Clark, Clinton Sundberg, Marjorie Gateson, and Romo Vincent (among others).The story is pretty straightforward, and is aided by a plot device or two, to enable the headlining duo to show their stuff: Martin plays a suave character who's a natural golfer and terrific singer (in fact, this is the film in which he first sings his signature song, "That's Amore", which was nominated for an Academy Award); Lewis plays Martin's doormat and "brother-in-law to be", who always finds himself in odd, funny situations. Reed plays Martin's country club gal, Bates plays Lewis's fiancée. Calleia plays Martin's dad (Argentina Brunetti, his mom); Gateson plays Reed's mom, and Sundberg plays their butler. Clark plays the latest boss to fire Lewis's character. Vincent plays the boys' agent, who discovers their real talent doesn't lie on the links.The film opens with Joe Anthony (Martin) and Harvey Miller Jr. (Lewis) looking out their window to their adoring fans; apparently, they're a comedy pair much like Martin & Lewis. Their story is told in flashback by their agent Eddie (Vincent): Harvey Sr. (Donald Randolph) was a professional golfer and Harvey Jr. is pretty terrific too, only he has to give it up since he can't play in front of crowds. Over the years he worked in various sport related jobs, but gets fired from his latest by Mr. Baxter (Clark), whom he's dubbed Old Skinhead, when he takes his fiancée Lisa (Bates) to see Ben Hogan play in a tournament. Harvey then inadvertently trashes the entire department store's sporting goods department and more. Joe's Papa (Calleia) is a fisherman, but Joe gets seasick so he hits the road and does various odd jobs himself until he finally returns home to find his sister Lisa is engaged to Harvey, who's just started to work as a golf tutor. Harvey discovers that Joe is a "natural" (golfer), and because Joe's father, who now owns an Italian restaurant, needs $500 to buy a boat to return to fishing, Harvey becomes Joe's caddy and the two enter a country club tournament whose prize for 1st place is (wouldn't you know?) $500.Once they're at the club, attractive Joe is pursued by the tournament's registrar Kathy Taylor (Reed), and Harvey is sent to bunk with the other caddies. Initially Joe protests the treatment of Harvey as less than his partner, but he quickly learns the benefits of the high life and begins to treat his future brother-in-law as one of the lesser classes. After a couple of scenes during which each lead gets to exhibit their talents (Martin sings while Lewis does slapstick "gags", the latter attracting the attention of a laughing rotund Eddie), and Joe wins the tournament, he's invited to stay at Kathy's before the big $10,000 tournament while Harvey follows in a truck full of livestock with his golf clubs. Nancy Culp appears briefly (uncredited) as a drunk's wife. To escape the Taylor's watch dogs, Harvey pretends to be a guest at the Taylor's estate, and eventually gets invited, by Kathy's mother Grace (Gateson), to assist their butler Charles (Sundberg), serving the other guests. By this time, Joe has adjusted quite well to the good life, and treating Harvey as a servant. A simple misunderstanding between Joe and Kathy, she thinks Lisa is his fiancée instead of Harvey's, causes Joe to get the boot. But eventually he returns with great fanfare to the big tournament and mayhem abounds at the golf course ... after which Eddie signs the singer and his sidekick to a contract. There's a brief mistaken identity gag at the end - Kathy and Lisa mistake (the real) Martin & Lewis for Joe and Harvey.

The Caddy (1953) *** (out of 4) Joe Anthony (Dean Martin) and Harvey Miller (Jerry Lewis) are big stars on the stage but it wasn't always like that. A reporter wants to know where they came from so we flashback to when Miller was about to marry the sister of Anthony. Before doing so the two men decide to try and win money playing golf since Miller at one time was great but just couldn't play in front of people. Soon they begin to take off but things take a turn when Anthony becomes interested in a woman (Donna Reed).THE CADDY is another successful teaming between Martin and Lewis. The film is certainly one of the better ones that the duo made together as there are plenty of nice laughs, a good supporting cast and then there's the soundtrack, which includes Martin's greatest hit "That's Amore." Apparently both Martin and Lewis were very goof golfers so I'm sure both were jumping at the chance to play around on the golf course and this here leads to a lot of fun.Some of the film's highlights include real life golfers who are used in the film and of course Lewis' crazy antics are there to mess everything up. One of the funniest sequences happen inside the locker room where Lewis gets soap in his eye because he doesn't know how to operate the water. Another funny sequence takes place early on in a department store where Lewis causes chaos. It's not all Lewis here as Martin gets a nice role as well but once again he gets the "mean guy" role. He's certainly good in the part and there's no question that "That's Amore" turned out to be one of the greatest moments of his career. Reed and the supporting cast are fun as well.THE CADDY certainly isn't a flawless movie but there's enough charm and laughs to make it worth watching.

A Martin-Lewis silly farce about two losers who are great at golf. Trouble is that one (Lewis) can't shoot well in front of crowds so he becomes Martin's caddy and suffers many indignities along the way.Jerry Lewis does his usual shtick with great competence. His scene of destroying a department store is so similar to that of a Marx Brothers film.Donna Reed, an Oscar winner the same year for "From Here to Eternity," is along for the ride as Martin's newly-found girl friend. She was far better off in dramatic performances.Martin's sister is played by Barbara Bates. You remember her as that girl from Erasmus Hall High School who hides out in Anne Baxter's apartment at the end of "All About Eve." After being in this silly nonsense, Bates should have taken the closest plane back to Flatbush and Church Ave. and resume Erasmus attendance.Martin nicely sings "That's Amore," which was nominated as best song. Argentina Brunetti, who died in Dec. 2005 at 98, plays his mother.Fred Clark, who always tried to be serious but would come off funny, is victimized in this flick as the Department Store head knocked for a loop by Lewis.No hole in one for this flick. Maybe, a hole in the head for making it.

I love Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, and this film had to be one of the funniest, aside from Sailor Beware. Martin and Lewis have a great chemistry that is so much fun to watch. I haven't seen all their movies yet, but after seeing The Caddy, I'll have to see them all! You have to see this movie.